Telecommunications service providers have extensive networks which can include landline equipment and fiber optic lines connecting central offices. Generally, a telecommunications network consists of one or more central offices with landline connections between central offices for carrying voice and/or data signals between central offices. The last central office located near the physical location of a subscriber and that physically connects to that subscriber's customer premises equipment is called an “end office”. Each central office and end office house switching equipment that connects subscriber lines together so that voice and data signals can be transmitted between subscribers.
In conventional telecommunications networks, fiber optic lines can carry voice and/or data signal traffic between the central offices and end offices. Conventional fiber optic lines can vary in size and capacity. For example, one configuration of a telecommunications network that utilizes fiber optical lines is a synchronous optical network or “SONET”. One type of SONET configuration is designated as “STS/DS-3/OCN”, which is an acronym for “Synchronous Transport Signal; Digital Service, Level 3; Optical Carrier, Level n”, which identifies a capacity and rate for digital signal transmission over a particular fiber optical line.
When a subscriber contacts a telecommunications service provider to initiate telecommunications network service between two particular locations in a network, then a “request of service” is initiated with the telecommunications service provider. A “request of service” is merely a request to route voice and/or data traffic between at least two particular central offices or end offices in a network. Since each location is serviced by at least one central office or end office, voice and data traffic must be routed between the respective central offices or end offices so that a subscriber can obtain telecommunications service between the two locations in the network.
However, in a telecommunications network utilizing fiber optic lines for transmission of voice and/or data signals, there are numerous combinations of signal routes that can be utilized for voice and/or data service between two central offices or hubs in such a network. For example, in an OC-48 lightweight optical network, there are at least 192×55=10,348 different combinations of signal routes between any two central offices or hubs in the network. When a signal is transmitted through more than two central offices, the number of possible combinations of signal routes between the central offices increases.
When larger distances are involved between two locations in a network, voice and data traffic may have to be routed through more than two central offices. Thus, determining signal routes between central offices can be a time consuming and expensive proposition.
Moreover, several technical problems can arise in selecting a route for voice and data traffic between two particular locations in a network. First, more switching and transmission equipment than what is needed may be utilized for providing voice and data service between two location; thus resulting in inefficient utilization of resources and higher operating costs. Next, the selected signal route may not be the shortest route between two locations, thus resulting in longer communication times, and higher operating costs.
One attempt to address these problems utilizes a conventional spreadsheet to track signal routes between central offices or end offices. Operating company personnel manually key in data to a spreadsheet to update signal route information as needed or when known. When a request for service is received, operating company personnel determine an optimum signal route by manually sorting through rows and tables of spreadsheet data for particular route information between central offices.
An optimum signal route between two central offices or end offices in a telecommunications network is known as a “fundamental route”. A fundamental route can be one of the most efficient transmission paths for voice and/or data traffic between two central offices or end offices in a conventional telecommunications network.
Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for determining a fundamental route between at least two central offices in a telecommunications network.
A further need exists for systems and methods for determining a signal route between two locations in a telecommunications network.
Yet a further need exists for systems and methods for determining a fundamental route in response to a request for service.